Colonsay Holiday 2008

25 Jun 2008

I've been back at work a week now after my holiday on Colonsay and I still think that I could have done with another week on this beautiful Scottish Isle.


I've been to Colonsay for a holiday twice now and both times we've had great weather. I'm beginning to think that the weather there must be as good as the other popular destinations for British tourists.

Where to stay

We stayed in chalets owned by Kevin Byrne who also offers other self-catering accommodation. They have all the basic essentials for you holiday but the main thing that you are paying for is the location - right next to the hotel (and bar). There are plenty of other places to stay, including B&Bs and self-catering, as it would appear that half the island own a second home to rent out to tourists.


My girlfriend (Jo) and I hired bicycles whilst we were there from Archie MacConnell. The bicycles for hire aren't all that bad but if you want to do some serious cycling then it's probably a good idea to take your own across on the ferry. It was a great way to see the sights and get a bit of exercise and there are quite a few hills so you certainly get plenty of the latter. In addition to cycling we did a bit of walking and climbing up hills to get great views of the whole isle.

Food and Drink

The isle has a post office and shop, a cafe (which I'd avoid unless you want scowled at by the folk that work there) and a hotel - The Colonsay Hotel. The hotel has a bar and restaurant. The bar and restaurant staff are nice and friendly and the food is really good although it is quite expensive. I guess this is due to the cost of running such a nice place in a remote location. We went for a meal in the restaurant on a Monday night and the food and service were excellent.

The People

I'm not very well travelled but I'm quietly confident that Colonsay sees more friendly hand waving than any other place on the planet. You can't go 100 metres without somebody waving at you and saying "hiya!". It's a very friendly place. Alot of the time you wave and smile as you pass on the single-track road but even walking about you always get a smile and a wave whenever you pass somebody else.

I certainly hope to go back again.